Consult Your GPS

I was driving to work one morning when traffic suddenly came to a grinding halt. Road delays are not all that unusual, but the location of this particular stop was unusual. 

This traffic standstill was on a two-lane road with forest on either side. Ahead of me I saw several vehicles turning around to find another route. Ugh! How long would this delay be? Should I find another route? Which route would be faster? All of these questions were running through my mind as I looked ahead as far as my eye could see. Unfortunately, I could not see the cause of the problem.

So, while I was sitting still in traffic (not while I was moving), I consulted my GPS. According to GPS, there was indeed a backup on the road I was on (duh) and a wreck ahead. Okay, that's what's going on. Unfortunately, GPS didn’t tell me important things like how long this delay would be or whether I should find another route. 

The questions continued to swirl through my mind, but this time I decided the best course of action would be to wait and see. Many times the detours don't end up saving me time! I decided not to panic and turn around. 

After I made that decision, traffic began to slowly move and I noticed cars coming from the other direction. That’s a good sign! This was a short-lived delay! Traffic continued to move forward and before long I saw the reason for our slow-down. Two vehicles who had bumped into each other pulled their vehicles to the side of the road so that traffic could continue to flow.

Thankful that I was finally on my journey again, I suddenly realized I had a response to a prayer I asked of God five minutes earlier! 

Minutes before this traffic delay, I was thinking about circumstances in my life that left me feeling discouraged about the future. I breathed a quick prayer and asked the Lord for some encouragement.

I remembered a Bible verse that I'd read earlier that morning. God could make water come out of a rock, so I knew the Lord could handle the details of my life. Thank you, Lord, for reminding me.

He opened the rock, and water gushed out;

 it flowed like a river in the desert. 

Psalm 105:41

I continued on my journey and a new song began to play on the radio. The words to this song reminded me that God's will was more important than mine. Okay, point taken.

As I was pondering these thoughts, that's when I ran into the traffic delay mentioned previously. After I was back on my journey I suddenly realized God had been trying to show me something. Aha! 

God sees me. (Genesis 16:13)

God hears me. (1 John 5:14)

God has a plan for my life. (Jeremiah 29:11) 

God reminded me that there will be delays in life and sometimes He asks me to wait. How long? Hmmmm... I wish I could consult my other GPS (God Positioning System), but that app has not been invented. Sometimes the delay is long and sometimes it’s brief. I do need to trust Him, though. God may detour me or ask me to be patient till He clears the way ahead.

Yes, that encouragement I prayed for had come. I only needed to pay attention and expect an answer. God is faithful!

Life Has No Movie Soundtrack

The scenario: Someone is on a stroll through the woods. The scenery is beautiful, in the background you can hear the padding of footsteps in the quiet peacefulness. Slowly the background music creeps into the scene signaling something is about to change. Suddenly the eerie sounds of music grows louder and a stranger runs onto the path. For those of us watching the movie, we anticipated something was coming because the music in the background prepared us for it. If only life was like that. The problem is. . .

Life has no movie soundtrack!

If life was more like a movie, we would know that something was going to happen because of the music or sounds playing in the background. For example, you are sitting in a restaurant having a quiet dinner and some comedic music begins to play nearby. You feel rather lighthearted for some reason and a moment later the waiter drops an entire tray on the floor. Ripples of quiet laughter erupt in the restaurant.

Or let's use that same setting and play the sounds of the dun-Dun-DUN near the handsome couple having dinner together. A sense of dread comes over the restaurant and everyone braces for what happens next: The woman tells her significant other that she wants to break up. She stands up and throws a ring in his lap while he sits with mouth agape. Cue the sad violin music.

You get the picture. Movies or television programs give us hints about what's going to happen by the music and sounds being played. This music actually manipulates us into feeling a certain way to help propel the storyline.

Real life is so much different. You suddenly find out someone wants to have a discussion with no clue about what's going to be discussed. Since the meeting was not planned, you immediately begin to anticipate the worst and pour over anything that could be wrong. It's so easy to imagine the worst rather than the best. If only there was a movie soundtrack to give you a clue!

I don't have any great revelations to share about this. It's really just a thought that occurred to me recently as I have watched life unfold all around me. Surprises--good and bad--come with nary a clue and definitely no soundtrack hints. Sometimes the blessing is in the surprise otherwise knowing the future would not be good.

I guess as believers in Jesus the best thing to do is to be prepared by staying close to God because nothing surprises Him. We have to keep our eyes on Him. He knows what is coming long before I do and the the Bible is full of examples like: Joseph, Sarah, Job, David, Peter, John, and Paul. Hebrews 11 is a list of people who trusted God when they weren't sure what was going on and God honored that faith.

I may not know what's going to happen in the next minute, the next hour, the next month, or the next year. However, I do know the Lord promises to be with me no matter what--even without the background music!

I know the Lord is always with me.    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. - Psalm 16:8

Suffering: God's Way of Getting Our Attention

 

     I look upon suffering as one of God’s ways of getting our attention. In fact, C.S. Lewis calls pain “God’s megaphone.” He said, “God whispers to us in our conscience, speaks to us in our joys, and shouts to us in our pain. Pain is God’s megaphone.”~ Elisabeth Elliot


Link to: Held in the Everlasting Arms: A Message From Elisabeth Elliot


This is a link to a short message from Elisabeth Elliot. If anyone knows about suffering, it's Mrs. Elliot. I have blogged a lot about suffering and enduring through tough times. When I ran across this message from Mrs. Elliot, I wanted to share it on this blog to preserve it for myself and to share with any followers who may need these words of encouragement. By clicking on the link above, you can listen to Mrs. Elliot as she delivers this message or read the transcript. I'll end this post with how she ends her message...


      Therefore sin and suffering entered into the world and now we’re saying, “Why doesn’t God do something about it?”

      And the Christian answer is, “He did. He became the victim, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.”

      As the Psalmist said in Psalm 46: “Though the earth shake and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, God is our refuge” (v. 1 paraphrase). I speak to you as one who has desperately needed a refuge. And in that same Psalm he says, “Be still” (v. 10). And I am told it’s legitimate to translate that, “Shut up and know that I am God.” That’s the message. ~ E. Elliot


I am reminded of this verse in 1 Peter 1:6

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

 

Dry Spells and Disruptions

Have you ever hit a dry spell? You may call it a bump in the road, a hiccup, or a roadblock in life.

You're just cruising along--it's not perfect--but it's moving in a direction of some sort. You're not even sure sometimes where you're headed, but you may have a destination in mind. Then something changes. Focus is unclear. Momentum is lost. You may not even realize it's happened until weeks later.

That's where I feel like I am lately. Everything seems a little out of focus. Even the joy of writing has become less joyful for the moment. I still like writing, mind you. It's just that...well, there's this undercurrent of minor chaos all around me. I've written about some of that recently. With a busy day job that requires a lot of mental energy, lately I don't feel like I have much left when I return home in the evenings. Crash. Vegetate. Go to bed. It's a relentless cycle. I can't blame it all on my day job, though. Other areas of my life seem to be requiring more of me than before, too. Some of it's good stuff, too. It's just that managing this maze of my life has made me weary. (For the record, please don't read into this that I don't like my job.)

I used to spend a lot more spare time reading. All of that focused time kept my creative juices going and inspired so many of my blog posts. I still read, but not as much as before. I even get inspiration for writing. Yet those moments of inspiration seem to come to me when I don't have time to write them down or develop them. I think to myself that I'll write it down as soon as I get a chance. Then something happens and I forget.

I also did a lot of journaling in the past year, recording spiritual events so that I wouldn't forget. That journal is a wonderful keepsake of the way God has worked in my life. I haven't written in that journal for the past two months. So you see, I'm not really sure whether to call it a dry spell or a huge disruption.

I'll be honest. I can look back now and see that some of this started shortly after coming to the realization that a door to one part of my life had been closed. It brought me to a point where I questioned the purpose of many things that occurred in my life during the past year. Why did all these things happen which were leading me in one direction suddenly come to a startling halt? Did I miss something? What did I do wrong? What did you do, God?  I went through the gammut of emotions as I processed these thoughts. Besides talking to God about them, I even talked to trusted friends. There are no answers at this time. Just more questions. One thing has not changed, though. I still trust God. Oddly enough, I probably trust Him now more than ever. After the events He's brought me through, I've really learned how much God loves me and wants the best for me. How can I not trust Him?

Meanwhile, I've also felt this strong compulsion to keep writing. But, with this disruption...What's a girl to do? Hmmm. I know I've got to find the time to do it. The Lord keeps showing me over and over than I need to share through writing.

The writer of Ecclesiastes tell us that there is "A Time for Everything." I'm sure you're familiar with these words...

For everything there is a season,

a time for every activity under heaven. (Ecc. 3:1)

There's a really great song from the 1960s based on these verses. Time truly is in God's hands. He is in control. Probably less familiar is the entire book of Ecclesiastes. The writer, Solomon, was a really wise man. Yet he struggled with life, too. "It's all meaningless," he would say. Read what Solomon writes just after the "A Time for Everything" section:

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

What do people really get for all their hard work?  

I have seen the burden God has placed on us all.  

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. 

He has planted eternity in the human heart, 

but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.  

So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long 

as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, 

for these are gifts from God. And I know that whatever God does is final. 

Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people 

should fear him. What is happening now has happened before, and what will

 happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the 

same things happen over and over again.

Even a wise man like Solomon grappled with life. He had riches untold. He ruled in peace as a King like no other has ever known. He was truly blessed by God. I like what Warren Wiersbe says about this book:

"Called a pessimistic book, Ecclesiastes is actually realistic. ...When viewed apart from God ('under the sun'), life is indeed 'vanity' (futility); but when you live for Christ, life is never 'in vain.' ...Six times Solomon advises you to enjoy life now and be grateful for God's gifts."  Wiersbe remind us that this is not pleasure-seeking philisophy, but a joyful outlook for believers who accept life as something from God to enjoy.

I feel like I rambled a bit, but just wanted to share a little of what's on my heart. What are you grappling with these days?

Wordy Wednesday

The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.   
Psalm 37: 23-24 

Wordy Wednesday

I've been set free. "Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father...Thy compassions they fail not." (from the hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness)


Those who plant in tears
    will harvest with shouts of joy. 
~ Psalm 126:5


Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. 
~ Psalm 30:5b


A time for everything...
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance. 
~ Ecclesiastes 3:4


I will never forget this awful time,
    as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
    when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning

I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!”

The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
    to those who search for him.

So it is good to wait quietly
    for salvation from the Lord.

...For no one is abandoned
    by the Lord forever.

Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion
    because of the greatness of his unfailing love. 

~ Lamentations 3:20-26, 31-32

 

Burdens: How Much is Too Much?

Burdens. Heartbreak. Affliction.

All of these words bring about a heaviness on my soul when I hear them. Perhaps it's because I can clearly identify the emotional struggles that go along with those words. I've witnessed it firsthand in friends struggling to care for disabled family members or severe health issues and people with extreme financial problems. In my own life, I've experienced these burdens when a succession of problems and tough times were dogging my every waking moment. It's that point when I started to cry "Uncle." The weight of the burdens were too much to bear on my own.

I've been thinking on this issue for many months now. After a friend confessed that she felt as if the Lord will sometimes give us more than we can handle, I really wrestled with this issue. After all, I don't like to see people struggling under the weight of those burdens.

There's a prevailing thought in the Christian community that God wants us to always be happy and free from difficulties, living an abundantly blessed life. Sounds very appealing, but I don't buy into that sort of theology. After all, the scripture clearly says we will have trouble. I've written about that in a previous post.

I do agree that God does want the best for his children, but the word best is key to this issue. For one person, best may mean all those great things for a season. For his next door neighbor, best may mean struggling to make ends meet.

There are a variety of reasons why we end up in these situations. We might be thrown into the situation by someone else's choices, our own actions may bring about consequences, or we may not know why this side of heaven. It's really a soveriegnty issue because God wants to accomplish something different in everyone. Who am I to say that I know better than God what's best for me?

The good news is that we don't have to bear these burdens on our own. See Galatians 6:2 and Matthew 11:28-30.

I recently read a very good article by Dr. Charles Stanley on this topic. I think he does a very good job of explaining what burdens are and how believers are to respond to them. Please take a few minutes to read this short article called Taking Care of Burdens.

Wordy Wednesday

Psalm 116

¹ I love the Lord because he hears my voice
    and my prayer for mercy.
² Because he bends down to listen,
    I will pray as long as I have breath!
³ Death wrapped its ropes around me;
    the terrors of the grave overtook me.
    I saw only trouble and sorrow.
⁴ Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “Please, Lord, save me!”
⁵ How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
    So merciful, this God of ours!
Source: biblegateway.com

Hope for this Unsteady Heart

Earlier this week I wrote a post about true love and trusting Jesus.  Events drove me to my knees seeking the Lord. It was during those unsteady times that Jesus stepped in to steady my heart, to catch the tears, and He lovingly walked with me through the uncertainty. There is hope for the unsteady heart and that hope can be found through Jesus.

I'm a big fan of Kari Jobe and especially her song called Steady My Heart. I've heard it on the radio recently and identified with the lyrics. I want to share the video here for anyone else who may be experiencing the unsteadiness that life brings. I hope you will be blessed by this song as much as I have been.

My Inner Geek

Live Long and Prosper!

I've been keeping a secret from all those who know me. I am truly a geek at heart.

I try to look cool, act cool, say cool stuff. Sometimes I'm successful.

Mwah-ha-ha-ha! I've had you all fooled! 

I'm just a geek at heart. 

I'm a normal, run-of-the-mill person who enjoys Star Trek, The Three Stooges, Computers, Reading, Word Games, and probably a few other things that are considered "geeky."

But who cares? It's a lot of hard work trying to be cool. 

Probably many of us who grew up in the Happy Days era knew Fonzie was the epitome of cool. But even he had a softer, nerdier side that he only showed to those he loved.

Why are we hiding? 

Someone will laugh at us, call us names, put us down. Oh, I've had my share of those put-downs. It's not fun to be on the receiving end of name-calling.

The fact of the matter is, it doesn't matter what other people think. It only matters what God thinks. He created me exactly like I am. He knew before I was even born that I would enjoy geeky things, that I would laugh at puns, that I have this quirky chirppy sound that I make when I hiccup, I crack my knuckles, and I sometimes snort when I laugh super-hard.

So share your inner Geek with the world, because...

Psalm 139:13-16

You (God) made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s masterpiece. 

He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,

so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

And God loves us so much that...

Isaiah 49:16a

 See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.

Luke 12:7

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 
So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God
than a whole flock of sparrows.

 Confession time: What are your geeky traits? Do tell...  Please leave a comment and share.

Nuggets of Wisdom

Here are a few gems that I've run across recently. All of these come from a book I just finished reading and highly recommend: A Jewel in His Crown: Rediscovering Your Value as a Woman of Excellence by Priscilla Shirer.

• "Often we worship and praise the creation and forget about the Creator. In fact, that’s exactly what we do when we consider others’ opinions more important than God’s. We know we are idolizing others when we concentrate on them more than we concentrate on God."
• "Satan’s goal is to get us to forget that God made us the way we are for a reason. He knows that if we get focused enough on our weaknesses, we’ll never get around to using our strengths for the kingdom of God. He knows that if we are smothered in self-pity, we’ll never get up and proclaim the praises of God. He knows that if we are always envying others, we will never learn to love them with Christ’s love."
• "Sometimes the Lord has to shake us up a bit to move us off a collision course with disaster. He is the control tower, and He is the only One who has a full view of our lives. There may be something that you were desperate to do, be, or have that He did not allow for you. The sudden bump that He used to shake up your life may have been very uncomfortable for you, but I’m sure you would prefer a minor disruption to a major crash."
• "If we are afraid to wait on God to give us the best, then we don’t really believe that He’ll do what He says He will do."
• "Never settle for less than your Father’s best for you. And here’s another important reminder: Don’t be surprised if He gives you His best gift wrapped in a package you weren’t expecting."

I don't know about you, but the world (and the Enemy) has a way of beating me down. I compare myself to others. I don't have the same gifts, talents, abilities, looks, relationships, ______ (fill in the blank)...

I really appreciate how God used Priscilla to write this book and show me and other women that we are extremely valuable in the sight of God, exactly as He made us. And, in light of that, we should never settle for second best when God has The Best in mind for us. Settling for second best means we don't believe we deserve The Best. God has a different opinion about us and the only way to know that is to be in the Word, chowing down on The Truth.

For the record, this is not a book review. 

I purchased this book for my personal reading 

and have not been compensated to write this piece.

Call Me Thomas

You remember the disciple Thomas, right? He's the one who will be forever known as "Doubting Thomas." I'm guessing that he probably regretted those doubts and would cringe at the thought that his name is forever associated with doubt.

After Jesus' resurrection, the other disciples came running back to where they were all staying and excitedly proclaimed that they had seen the risen Lord. Thomas (he must be the pragmatic one) said he would not believe such a thing unless he could actually see the imprint of the nails in His hands or actually put his hand into Jesus' side. That was more than doubt he was expressing. He simply did not believe. In today's vernacular he might have said, You all are nuts. You're just overcome with grief and now you're seeing things. That might have been a fair assessment in a normal situation. But this was not a normal situation.

Eight days later Jesus actually appeared to His disciples to give them some final words. Thomas was there. Jesus knew about Thomas' doubts. In an act of kindness, Jesus offers Thomas the opportunity to put his hands into His side or to touch the nail-scarred hands.

Eight days later the disciples were together again, 
and this time Thomas was with them. 

The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, 

Jesus was standing among them.  

“Peace be with you,” he said.  Then he said to Thomas, 

“Put your finger here, and look at my hands. 

Put your hand into the wound in my side. 

Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

~John 20: 26-28

Jesus encourages Thomas to believe. Jesus knew Thomas very well and what it would take to convince him. Notice that the Scripture does not say that Thomas actually touched Jesus. Apparently just the sight of Jesus and perhaps the sound of His voice was enough to convince him of the truth. Thomas doubted no more.

Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. 

Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” 
~John 20: 29

Jesus doesn't berate Thomas for his doubts. He was very patient with Thomas and gave him some visual aid. John and Peter were the disciples who believed without seeing and Jesus said they were blessed because of that faith.

It's so easy to look at Thomas and dismiss him with a "tsk, tsk." Or, as they say in the south, "Bless His Heart."  But really, if you were in that situation, wouldn't you be skeptical?

Some events in my life during recent months have caused me to doubt--a lot. I doubted my thoughts. I doubted God. I doubted others. I doubted my feelings. If it could be doubted, I probably did it. I didn't really believe God had been directing my path and that's why everything was messed up. I must have gotten my signals crossed. Maybe I'd done something wrong? What happened, Lord?

Scripture helped but I still harbored doubts. I'm a visual learner. Show me how to do something, don't just tell me. The Lord knows this about me. In his kindness and mercy, He began to give me visual cues to show me He was listening, that He cared greatly, and that I had not "messed up." Everything was under His control and all part of His plan. Now each time the doubts begin to creep back into my thinking, God gives me a visual cue. In fact, it's the same cue every single time. It's a simple reminder of God's faithfulness and tender mercy. Although I cannot touch His nail-scarred hand, God gives me something very unique to see which reminds me of Him. Sometimes it brings a tear to my eye and other times it makes me giggle. (No, I'm not telling what it is.)

Yes, I would be more blessed if I could believe without seeing. But God created me this way and He takes that into account. Maybe one day I'll be a Peter or John and believe without seeing. But for now...

Call me Thomas. 

I'm still blessed.

 

We're Not Skaaaid...

"We're not skaaaid (scared), I'm gonna let my light shine."

That was the line from a song the children sang at church recently. The line was sung with a cute accent--the reason for the odd spelling. The premise behind the song is that we need not be scared or fearful when we have Jesus shining through us.

I was listening to Kay Arthur teach on this very topic a few days ago.

Jesus Calms the Storm (Mark 4: 35-41)

³⁵ As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). ³⁷ But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

³⁸ Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
³⁹ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
⁴¹ The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

 
The disciples had their focus on the storm instead of Jesus. They really had no need to fear because Jesus was in the boat with them; they would not perish as long as He was with them. However, Jesus did not get mad at the disciples for asking for help. He simply focused His power and attention to the storm, telling it to Silence and Be Still. This is also translated in some versions as Hush or Peace. Jesus was calming the storm.

When we're in the midst of a storm, Kay says we need to stop and hear the voice of Jesus over and above the storm. Storms in our lives may be actual storms, trials, or they may also be doubts, fears, discontent, temptations, etc.

Jesus asks the disciples two questions after he calms the storm. So, in the midst of our storms we should ask ourselves...

1. Why am I afraid? (Jesus is here with me)
2. Do I still have no faith? (I can trust in him at ALL TIMES. See Psalm 62) I should go back and remember the times Jesus has brought me through other storms. Storms have a way of stretching our faith.

I love the following quote from Kay:

In any given situation you can either 

fear the situation or 

you can fear God, 

who is over the situation. 

Remember, fear of God means reverence and trust. God is in control and he has the power to calm the storm.

One of my favorite songs lately is called The Same God by Newsong. A line from that song says,

The same God who led you in will lead you out.  

So take all the fear and doubt, go on and lay them down.

You Are Beautiful

I recently shared a simple post on Facebook from Proverbs 31 Ministries. The message was very simple but really touched me. I was amazed by the response from other women by this post. Young, old, or in-between, it's obviously something we need to hear...often.

The message was simply a passage from the Bible...

You Are Altogether

Beautiful 

My Darling 

Beautiful 

in Every Way. 

Song of Songs 4:7

Accompanying this verse was a simple message...

You. Yes, you.

There were over 300 shares of this post in a matter of two hours! Imagine how many Facebook users didn't share but just "liked" the post. We're talking about thousands of people touched by this thought in just a few hours.

Women are obviously hungry for this message. How wonderful to know that even when we (I) don't hear these words, our Heavenly Father looks down at us (me) and thinks this very thought about us (me). Just let that thought soak in. Then blow a kiss to God. The feeling of love is overwhelming.

Here's a great song to go along with this topic.

Nuggets of Wisdom

This is the post each week where I share a few random but meaty thoughts about something God has shown me. This week's focus is slightly different.

• You can trust God with your life.
• YOU can trust God with your life.
• You CAN trust God with your life.
• You can TRUST God with your life.

It's the same sentence with the emphasis placed on a different word. Read it again and put the emphasis on the words in all caps.

My Friend, what I've learned didn't happen in a week. But I do feel as if I've had a crash course in this TRUST business over the past year. God is always there with you, even when you're not sure. Sometimes God is just waiting on you to turn to Him, to trust Him with your life. He delights in showing you (and me) how much He loves you.

Life can be difficult. If you don't have a storm brewing in your life right now, there are probably storms brewing all around you. You can feel life pressing in. When that happens, turn to God and press into Him. Trust Him with your life. He's waiting to shelter you in his arms.

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
    turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
Show me the wonders of your great love,
    you who save by your right hand
    those who take refuge in you from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
    hide me in the shadow of your wings
from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
    from my mortal enemies who surround me. 

~ Psalm 17:6-9

Forgetfulness

The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? 

How long will they refuse to believe in me,

in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? 

~ Numbers 14:11

I was reminded this week of how forgetful I can be. Not forgetful in the sense that car keys are always misplaced or appointments missed. Forgetful in not remembering what God has done.

As the Israelites traveled from Egypt to the Promised Land, the trip was very difficult. It was a very long trip through rough terrain and desert lands. However, in the midst of that journey, God brought them to a place called Elim. 

Elim was a beautiful little spot in the wilderness that had refreshing water and date palms (Ex. 15:27). It was an oasis in the wilderness. Imagine being weary and thirsty from the dry and brown desert. Suddenly before them was this lush, green spot with lots of water. It would be a little like spending the night in a five-star hotel after a grueling 14-hour road trip with 4 active kids in the car. What a treat! God was refreshing the Israelites for the journey that was still ahead of them.  

Sometimes my journey gets arduous, dry, grueling. I look forward to arriving at my destination but my spirits begin to wane during the journey. During these times is when God provides an Elim for me. It's a place where God gives me exactly what I need to strengthen me, encourage me, and nourish me for the journey ahead.

This week the Lord reminded me that keeping track of these "Elims" is very important. It's imperative to write down these moments when God has provided, intervened, and performed miracles on my behalf. When the journey begins to get tough again, I can look back at my Elims and know that God is always there with me. 

Like the Israelites, I can easily forget what the Lord has done when I'm totally focused on the problems of my present circumstances. God reminds me to remember what He has done.  

When we are confused about what God is doing, remember what God has done. ~ Unknown 

The Dream

We have a loving and personal God who inclines His ear to us when we cry out. He binds the wounds of the broken-hearted. God cares about Every. Single. Little. Detail. of our lives.

Just had to share this moving video from Beth Moore on how God used a dream to help a devastated and hurting mother.